ពិធីបុណ្យភ្ជុំបិណ្ឌ
Pchum Ben Festival
Pchum Ben is a 15-day Cambodian, traditional and religious festival celebrated by Buddhists every year. This festival starts from the 1st to the 15th day of the tenth month of the lunar calendar when the moon is waning. The first 14 days are called Kan Ben or Dak Ben, while the last day is known as Ben Thom.
People from everywhere return to their hometowns to meet their siblings and relatives. Every morning of the Dak Ben, people who live close to the pagoda take turns cooking food for the monks and the many visitors from other regions who come to the pagoda during this time. They also have good food with some special gifts for their parents, grandparents, and old men and women in the village. Buddhist monks and old people chant dharma close to dawn to pray for their good deeds to their relatives who passed away.
According to Cambodian belief, people are reincarnated at death, but those with bad karma can be trapped in the spirit world, unable to be reincarnated. During Pchum Ben, the souls are believed to be released from the spirit world to find their living relatives searching for food, which is why Cambodians take this time to bring offerings to the pagodas because they do not want the spirits of their dead relatives to seek offerings in vain.
The 15th day is the most important day of Pchum Ben and also the last day of the ceremony. Cambodian people have three days for public holidays to have a chance to visit their hometowns and gather with their families. The day is a time when many Cambodians pay their respects to deceased relatives of up to 7 generations.
Pchum Ben is a traditional ceremony to remind people to bring food to the monks and to remind people to remember their ancestors who have passed away and people get blessings and happiness for their good deeds. This festival is also a sign of unity in which people come together and pleasingly celebrate it throughout Cambodia-the Kingdom of Wonder.
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